Marion Rose (Cirillo) Mulligan, 75, of Westfield, passed away peacefully November 3, 2020. Born April 17, 1945 in Springfield, MA, she was a daughter of the late Nicholas and Elizabeth (Ashey) Cirillo. Mom had a way of touching your heart and making sure you couldn't forget her. She was a vibrant soul that overcame many obstacles throughout her time here on earth. She overcame meningitis at the age of 7, after a 4 year battle that left her primarily blind. She then attended the school for the blind where she was taught to thrive on her own and read braille. Although it was a rough recovery process, she never allowed that to slow her down. After losing her mother at the young age of 18. She decided to travel the US, even hitchhiking for MA to CA and back. Everyone that knew her knew she was a spicy lady and would tell it like it is. It’s hard to believe that my Mama is gone in her physical form and I will never feel her touch again. You rarely come across someone with that type of fire and passion for life like she did. She enjoyed her music, cigarettes, and coffee with a passion. Unfortunately her cigarettes ultimately played a role in her untimely passing, causing cancer that wreaked havoc in her body. She loved hard and fought for what she wanted even harder. She was an amazing woman, and the BEST Mother someone could ask for. Saying goodbye to anyone you love is always hard. But when it’s someone as special as my Mama, she ends up taking a little piece of you with her. Marion leaves behind her children Sandra Olivero, Naomi Olivero and Gerald Mulligan, Jr.; grandchildren Tessa Copeland, Toni Mulligan, Jacob Noel, Annalyssa Mulligan, Luke Noel, Alexander Olivero and Marianna Olivero; brother Nicolas Cirillo; sisters Pat Johnson and Sue Labranch; and partners Gerald Mulligan and Michael Boscher.
"If roses grow in heaven Lord, please pick a bunch for me. Place them in my mother’s arms and tell her they're from me. Tell her that I love her and miss her. And when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for a while. Because remembering her is easy, I do it every day. But there’s an ache within my heart that will never go away."
- Author Unknown
Please feel free to share any stories or memories of my Mama here for all to read and smile with you as you think of her.
"La mia famiglia è la mia forza e la mia debolezza."